No Need To Break Bank Or Back To Entertain

Everyone has the urge to entertain now and then, and for every person who throws a party, there are scores who wish they could.

Ask people why they didn`t give a party and you`ll invariably hear a half-hearted justification: ``I don`t have a big enough dining room table,``

or ``I can`t afford it,`` or ``I could never cook a complete dinner.`` Any of this might be true, but none precludes having a party that people will remember for months to come.

Even though it may be the most recurring image of a ``party,`` the white-cloth, silver and crystal sit-down dinner is only one format-and it may not always be the best one. Circumstances may suggest something else entirely.

Mary Ann Josh, corporate party planner and president of Events Alive, said the biggest entertaining considerations are budget and space. ``If you`ve got the room, you can do anything you want,`` Josh said. Presumably, unlimited cash helps with some of the details, too. But neither lack of room nor lack of funds has to grind party plans to a halt.

Many a great time has been had over a pot of soup, some great bread and a jug of wine. Scale down the tone and aim for a casual and relaxed affair. Chances are, it will come as a welcome respite in the midst of a frenetic holiday season. If you live in a one-room studio barely larger than a closet, a dinner party can work for a select group of guests. And if the kitchen is too small for a full-blown feast, cook one or two things yourself and pick up the rest at a carry-out store.

One great hostess who lives in small quarters plans relatively small parties on two consecutive nights. Same menu, same flowers and she only has to clean the house once.

Short on chairs? At a cocktail party, only 25 percent of the guests will sit down at any given time, Josh said. Thus, if you only have seating for a dozen people, you can still have 48 guests.

The upcoming holidays suggest a few additional party plans-open houses, brunches, tree-trimming gatherings among them.

Open houses are casual, relaxed and extremely hospitable, but they also take all day. An open house means that, as host, you`re on stage for hours. Food has to be refilled and rearranged, fires rekindled. Gracious though they are, an open house is probably the most demanding in terms of time and, often, of effort.

Brunch is another story. Some people-early birds, no doubt-revel in the fact that after the guests leave, they still have a good part of the day left for other activities. The down side is that all the pre-party work has to be done in a fairly short period of time. There are only a few hours in the morning.

Tree-trimming parties can be held on a Sunday afternoon as easily as they can on a weekday evening. Food can be casual and light; drinks can be as simple as hot apple cider or mulled wine. A roaring fire, a Christmas tree and a few ornaments are all that is needed to make the atmosphere warm and inviting.

If nothing else seems quite right, there`s always dessert. Josh points to a recent trend in parties that has all the makings of sweet success: inviting people over for dessert only. It goes without saying that the food will be a hit. From a practical standpoint, it is relatively inexpensive to stage. Several knock-out desserts and a selection of coffee and tea carry plenty of high impact at a fairly low cost. And in the midst of the holiday hustle and bustle, it just may be the icing on the cake.